Latch.



UNITED STATES JOSEPH E. TERRELL, or TEXOLA, OKLAHOMA.

LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1910.

App1ication filed August 17, 1909. Serial No. 513,301.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. TERRELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city of Texola, county of Beckham, and State of Oklahoma, have invented new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to looks and latches and particularly to a latch designed for use on screen doors, gates and the like.

An object of this invention is to produce an automatically operating latch whlch will serve to retain the swinging member in closed position, means being provided for preventing accidental disengagement of the members of the latch; furthermore an object of this invention is to provide a latch which may release the door upon the application of sufficient pressure to overcome the frictional engagement of the members of the latch.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a latch which will operate even though the swinging member sags somewhat from the original. position of adjustment, or relation of the parts of the latch to one another is changed.

\Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which like characters denote corresponding parts in the several views, in which Figure 1 illustrates a portion of the screen door in perspective with the latch applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of one of the latch members detached from the door frame; Fig. 3 illustrates by view in elevation the side of the member of the latch shown in Fig. 2 from the opposite side; and Fig. 4t is a sectional view on the line -14 of Fig. 2.

In these drawings, 5 indicates a stationary object such as a. door frame to which one part of the latch is secured. It is to be understood that this latch may be used in connection with a gate post or other object with relation to which a swinging member is mounted. The door 6 may be of any approved construction and is provided with an arm 8 which projects from one edge of the door, and is designed to be engaged and retained when the door is to be held in closed position.

The means adapted for engaging the arm and for holding the swinging member in closed position is shown as comprising a plate 9 having apertures 10 therein, to re ceive screws or other attaching devices for holding the plate in position. The plate 9 is further provided with seats such as 12, which may be in the form of apertures or recesses. The pivot 13 is applied to the plate 9 and the disk 14 is rotatable on the pivot 18. The disk has the notched periphery forming shoulders 15 and 16 which are designed to engage the arm 8 as the hinge member 6 is swung to cause engagement of the arm and the disk. The disk 14 is further provided with projections 17 which ride on the surface of the plate 9 until they come into alinement with seats 12, or pass the edge of said plate, when by reason of the s-auring action of the metal, from which the said disks are preferably formed, the said projections enter the seats or clear the edges of the plate, and act to retain the disk against further movement except by the application of force greater than that required to overcome the friction of the parts when the projections are riding on the surface of the plate. It will be observed that the plate is provided with several seats 12 in order that the disk may be held against accidental movement when it is in its open or its closed position. The disk is in what is termed an open position when the shoulder 15 practically alines with the upper edge of the plate 9 near its outer end and when the shoulder 16 is in a position at approximately right angles to the said upper edge, in which position the shoulder 16 will be in the path of travel of the arm 8, which arm 8, as it engages the shoulder 16, will cause the rotation of the disk 14:, and the said disk may travel until the shoulder 15 assumes a po' sition at right angles to the upper edge of the plate 9. The shoulder 18 as formed 011 the plate will limit the movement of the arm, hence when the said shoulder 15 is at right angles to the upper edge of the plate 9, the arm 8 would be confined in a space between the shoulder 15 and the shoulder 18 and the disk would be held against accidental rotation in a manner heretofore described. However, with the application of pressure on the swinging member sufficient to overcome the frictional engagement of recesses therein and a recess in its edge, a spring meta-l disk pivoted on the reduced portion of the plate, projections on the disk adapted to register With the recesses in said plate to hold the disk in locked position, and the disk having its periphery provided with a not-ch forming shoulders adapted to engage the arm.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH E. TERRELL. Witnesses W. C. MOORE, JAS. E. HUTTE. 

